Every great food creator has a unique story and so does this budding restaurateur.Elvis Lobo, who resides in Mumbai at Santacruz East, is currently working as an assistant bartender for Foo BKC in Bandra Kurla Complex Mumbai for the past 6 months under the guidance of Dimitri Lezinska, who had been the global ambassador for Grey Goose. Elvis has completed his graduation in BSc in Home Science from Don Bosco College of Hospitality Studies and has also done a professional bartending course from Drinq Barmen and Academy. This story is all about his own unique cocktail creation, “The Chosen One”. He is participating in the first ever Bartender Stories Competion by The Cocktail Story (judged by Yangdup Lama & Shatbhi Basu), where he shares this wonderful story and we thought it be best to share it with you all foodies.
This is what he has to say about story behind his new fusion cocktail “The Chosen One” :-
“Bar-tending comes with practice and dedication”. We have all heard that before. Let me spice it up with the fact that “Creativity” keeps bar-tending alive. In the life of a Bartender, where cocktails light up the show for innovation, I have something to share. I am a bartender by profession working at Foo Mumbai, where drinks sell like hot pancakes and my Name is Elvis and this is the story of a cocktail I made.
Every 14th of February, when love is always in the air, it was on this day of last year – 2019 where the story began. The Symbolic color of this day, Red, symbolizes hearts, roses and love. So, for our Valentines’ Day Cocktail, we choose to play with strawberries, the red aphrodisiac fruit. To my surprise, not all the fresh strawberries bought were used on that day for cocktails, and I personally choose to avoid wasting the unused strawberries. A bee in my bonnet, got me with an idea to create something unusual.
To begin with, I prepared a fresh strawberry saccharum and I toyed with the idea of making a cocktail keeping in mind that it should taste sweet and tangy. Everyone has their own quirks and I utilized mine to the fullest to prepare a recipe with a few failing attempts but assured results. I made it! It was a moment of achievement for me- like a tiny feather in my cap! The next question arose- who would buy my cocktail?
Two days passed but I didn’t find anyone who I could please at my bar and nearly gave up. I’d also like to mention that a saccharum that is made with fresh ingredients can merely last for a week, if stored properly. Four days passed in the blink of an eye, my expectations were playing with my anxiety, it was my innovation that didn’t let me give up when I claimed I would sell this cocktail on the 6th Day. I was mocked by my colleague Pablo and it clearly made sense, what miracle could possibly cure my 5 days wait!
It’s said that Every cloud has a silver lining, and my cloud seemed no bounds, when a lovely couple walked up-to me and asked for the cocktail menu. I greeted them and asked what they would like to have. The male seemed reluctant and went for a cocktail from the menu called FOO king, but the female was open to trying a new cocktail. Was I a lucky star that night? Perhaps. I felt like a whole lucky universe! Being an assistant bartender, preparing the first cocktail ever, in the first company I worked for felt like a dream come true. The female was elated to be a part of my experience and success. I sped like a cheetah to my den and with trembling hands made her ”the cocktail” which I served with grace. I think I was more than just lucky that night as she gulped the cocktail without even waiting for the starters to arrive and guess what? She asked for another one. “Her wish was my command” I couldn’t help but serve her with more delight. Well, I forgot in excitement that this was a trial that I made with some strawberries that would have been wasted. I ran short of it, as she ordered a third as there was no saccharum left. I had to let the cat out of the bag and break the news out to her but she was extremely understanding and asked me not worry as she would visit Foo very often since she liked my cocktail and services. Well, every good story must come to end right? Not that easily.
What’s the twist in my plot? She asked me a question- What would you name your innovation? I laughed at my stupidity. Even after God created the world, we called our planet Earth and here I forgot to name my own creation! I told her the name of my cocktail and she was pleased to know it. Remember when I told you, the days my cocktail didn’t sell? They didn’t. Maybe because “the chosen one’ to taste my cocktail was this lady. And this is how I named my own cocktail creation as “ The Chosen One”, just as the lady was chosen to come on that particular day to taste my effort.
I would like to conclude saying, on some nights I make money, on others I just have fun. I help with cocktails but I can drink none. Next time, when you see me at the bar at Foo Mumbai, come towards me and try “ The Chosen One”.
This is Elvis Lobo, and this is the story of the “The Chosen One”.
We at SFR wish him all the very best for the competition!
Wow such a great story